The Swatch Freeride World Tour (FWT) is every freeride skier and rider’s ultimate dream. It is the highest level of freeride competition.  In order to qualify for this cut-throat tour, athletes must successfully compete on the rigorous and highly competitive Freeride World Qualifier Series (FWQ). Only 12 athletes in the world make the cut for the FWT annually, just 6 of whom are from the America’s Region.

I won the overall FWQ in 2013, which has allowed me to compete on the 2014 and 2015 FWT. Often I am asked what gave me my competitive edge over other athletes fighting to make it on the FWT. The answer: Western State Colorado University. Western provides its athletes with the support of coaches and teammates; it even makes it more affordable than competing solo. Western offers the structure of great academics as well as a world-class skiing program, giving Western athletes a big competitive advantage.

Francesca showing off her technique. Photo from FWT.

My claims have been proven true by some amazing results during the 2015 season. Freshman Max Durtschi won the overall FWQ earning himself a spot on the infamous FWT. As if this was not enough, sophomore Sierra Sawyer and alumna Kaytlin Hughes were on the cusp of qualifying for the FWT in 2015. The proof is in the podiums; Western makes top notch, world class Freeride Athletes. Recently I took some time to talk to these amazing skiers who agree that Western is a key element of their success.

Max, at just 19 years old, made a big splash on this year’s FWQ and Collegiate Freeride Series. He describes Western’s support by saying, “Western has given me every resource I could have possibly wished for to help me achieve my skiing goals. In the fall I took part in dryland training, which was well run and very beneficial. Having a team to ski with has been awesome, riding with a group of good skiers really pushes me to progress my own skiing in new ways. The coaching has also been very helpful.”

Max enjoying spring conditions at Crested Butte.

Sophomore Sierra Sawyer added to Max’s description of Western’s support by saying, “Western has helped me with my skiing career more than I could have imagined. The Mountain Sports Program helps me travel to all the competitions; which I would not be able to do on my own. All of my professors are very understanding and accommodating. Western and the Mountain Sports Program have helped get my foot in the door of the competition scene while still working towards my degree.”

Sisi showing off her trademark smile.

Both Sierra Sawyer and Kaytlin Hughes were within striking distance of making the FWT this season. As Kaytlin puts it, “making the tour has been a goal of mine for the last two years. Traveling to Europe and competing with some of the best skiers in the world is any competitors dream. Unfortunately, I have narrowly missed making the tour for two years in a row. But my successful results have helped me gain confidence and I have more motivation and determination to compete and qualify for the tour next year.” Both athletes will continue to work hard so they can eventually make it on the pinnacle of Freeride competitions.

Sawyer powering through her Collegiate Freeride Series run at Grand Targhee.

Alumna Kaytlin Hughes graduated in 2012 with a degree in Cellular Biology and a minor in Chemistry and Exercise and Sports Science. One may think the course work alone would be more than enough for Kaytlin, but she has been excelling in Freeride competitions since 2010. “It was at Western that I started my competitive skiing career. The fact that I had coaching for three years of competing while in college jump-started my success.” This is a perfect example of how Western provides academic support and structure while making some of the best athletes on the Freeride circuit.

Kaytlin Hughes at home in Snowbird, UT. Photo Korey Kaczmarek.

Max finished up our chat by summarizing his successful season, “Making the tour means I get to travel to Europe to ski in places I’ve only seen in ski movies with some of the best skiers and riders out there right now. I am very excited to have this opportunity… All in all, without Western it would have been much harder for me to have achieved what I have.”

Hughes airing it out. Photo Eric Sales.

I have to agree with Max, Western makes competing more affordable and making the FWT more attainable. Western’s one of a kind freeride team speaks for itself. Within the last two years, Western has had two FWQ champions and currently has two Freeride World Tour athletes, an accomplishment that no other University can claim. The other amazing results are too numerous to add, but safe to say that Western is the Mecca for freeride competitors seeking a degree. Keep an eye out for the Western athletes during the 2016 winter season. It is safe to say that we can expect big things from our freeride athletes both on the FWQ and FWT.

– Francesca Pavillard-Cain

In late March Mountain Sports Athletes Max Durtschi and Sierra “Sisi” Sawyer made a break for the border with coach Ed Dujardin in a last minute effort to to qualifiy for the Freeride World Tour.  The Freeride World Qualifier 4* Event took place at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in Golden, British Columbia on a large and challenging venue.  Durtschi and Sawyer both had great runs on day one, with each of them sitting in the top ten heading into the finals.  Even though he missed a feature in his finals run, Max was able able to jump on to the podium with a 3rd place finish behind last years Junior National Champion Martin Lentz in 1st and local skier Trace Cook in 2nd.  Fortunately for Durtschi, Lentz’s win wasn’t enough to overtake Durtschi on the season and he stands as the new North American Champion.

Max Durtschi

Unfortanetly for Sawyer, a small crash at the end of her finals run would knock her out of the top ten and out of the running for a spot on next year’s Freeride World Tour.  Sawyer would come home with an 11th place finish and the mental fuel necessary to chase down a championship next season.  Overall, Sawyer took 3rd Place in the North American Freeride World Qualifiers.

Sierra “Sisi” Sawyer

Western’s Freeride Team Takes Multiple Team Podiums in the IFSA Collegiate Freeride Series

The IFSA Collegiate Freeride Series Finals (CFS) were supposed to take place on the same weekend with Western and the University of British Columbia neck and neck headed down to the wire.  Unfortunately for the hundreds of college students around the country that were looking forward to this event, Mother Nature had other plans.  A well below average snow year coupled with extremely high temperatures left the fine folks at Crested Butte Mountain Resort with no option except to cancel the event. This forced CFS organizers to base this years awards on results from earlier CFS Events at Grand Targhee in January and Snowbird in March.  Western would end up taking team victories in Men’s Skiing and Men’s Snowboarding.  The Overall CFS Title would end up going to the University of British Columbia with Western in a close second.

Conner Michael

Full IFSA Collegiate Freeride Series Results:

Overall Title

1. University of British Columbia
2. Western State Colorado University
3. Westminster College

Men’s Skiing

1. Western State Colorado University
2. University of British Columbia
3. University of Colorado Boulder

Women’s Skiing

1. University of British Columbia
2. University of Colorado Boulder
3. Colorado College

Men’s Snowboarding

1. Western State Colorado University
2. Westminster College
3. University of British Columbia

Women’s Snowboarding

1. Montana State University
2. Whitman College

Western’s Freeride Team inspecting the venue at Grand Targhee

For more information, please visit the following links:

Freeride World Tour press release

International Freeskiers and Snowboarders Association (IFSA)

Freeride World Tour

West Elk Project Article

The first day of competition at Nationals consisted of a rail jam for the ski and snowboard freestyle team, and a 7.5 classic ski for the nordic team. It was a warm and sunny day at Mount Bachelor in Bend, Oregon, and the conditions were great.

The rail jam consisted of three different lines of boxes and rails. Judges wanted the riders to change up their lines and to use all of the features available.

Western had both men and women riders make it to finals, and everyone competed at the top of their game.

Overall, the women’s snowboard team got fourth, men’s skier got third place, and men’s snowboard got second place! It was a good day for Western Mountain Sports.

Western’s large variety of disciplines at nationals included a quick and strong Nordic Team that competed in a 7.5 k classic race. This was first of four events that the Nordic Team competed in during the week.

Racing through Bend’s mossy coated forest provided a series of challenging uphills that the team had to overcome, but the team’s stoke level stayed high and they were happy to race in new territory.

With the 7.5 k classic not being a typical race that the Nordic team competes in, it was a new experience for the crew and was a great way to kick off the week of competition for the team.

The next event that the freestyle ski and snowboard team competed in was an awesome slope style competition on a great course.

The slope style run started with either a rail or a box, into a two jump line, followed by a rail, a pole jam, and ending with a wall ride. Everyone competed well and we had a bunch of W’s in the finals.

It was a full day on the hill, but Western finished strong. For skiing, Dom Pucherelli finished in ninth place overall. For the snowboarders, Hunter Knoll finished in ninth place, Micaela Lambeth in fourth place, and Grady Shoop finished in third place.

The Nordic team broke out the wax and iron early Wednesday morning to prepare themselves for the Freestyle race. The short race tested the team on endurance as each competitor full out sprinted the short lap. With the level of competition stacking higher than last year, the team knew they would have to leave it all on the race course at the end of the day.

Samantha Maddox, or as her friends and teammates know her, “Bob,” held down the fastest time for the women on the team finishing a respectable 19th place out of all 41 competitors.  Although it may not have been exactly what she wanted, she gave it her all and was a perfect example of a Mountain Sports athlete that refuses to quit.

On Thursday the men raced in boarder and ski cross all day. With another sunny warm day. the course was slick and the team went fast.

The competition consisted of a single rider qualification, followed by heats of four depending on qualifying times.

No one from the team made it to finals, but everyone gave it their best.

Friday was a board and ski cross day for the girls, and the mens freestyle team spent the day in the big park at Bachelor filming and progressing tricks. With a blue bird day and a high of 60, it was a perfect day to get some laps in the park.

The Nordic team was at it again Friday morning, and this time it was all about distance. The team competed in a 7.5k race, where each skier had to make two big laps and two smaller laps before finishing the race completely. This race was a mixture of endurance and pacing each lap out.

Instead of doing intervals starts, like the team had been doing the past two races, they all started off at the same time which made for a more exciting and challenging start for all competitors as they sprinted down the start and into the mossy woods. The race streamed in fans that scattered themselves along the course, giving each racer encouragement as they pounded through the lengthy race.

Kevin Geisen lead the Western males in the 7.5k race placing 17th out of 44 competitors and Bob Maddox lead the woman’s standings for Western placing 15th of the 40 competitors.

Western athletes capped off the week with a warm bluebird day as their final day in Bend, Oregon, competing in Nordic, and Men’s and Woman’s Snowboard GS. Athletes race down the course weaving themselves through colored gates, while trying to maintain as much speed and control as possible. Grady Shoop finished with the fastest time for the team finishing 18th out of all 40 competitors in the Men’s Snowboard GS.

Ethan Field taking it tight around the gate with the final turns in sight in the finals of the Men’s Snowboard GS.

Jordan White (red jacket) & Katelyn Novak (grey jacket) and Micaela Lambeth competed in the Woman’s Snowboard GS. Although each of them slightly struggled with the icy course, they still finished strong and plan on coming back stronger next year in hopes of achieving a spot on the podium.

For the Nordic teams last race, they competed in a three person, three lap relay race. The women’s team finished strong in fourth place overall.

It was hard to beat a fun nordic race in the 60 degree sunny weather in Oregon!

Final Results were strong for the Mountain Sports team. Micaela Lambeth finished in the top 10 for women’s freestyle snowboarding. Grace Owen also finished in the top 10 for women’s freestyle skiing. Dom Pucherelli and Morgan Hunter Haymans both finished in the top 10 for men’s freestyle sking. Ethan Field, Hunter Knoll, and Grady Shoop all placed in the top 10 for men’s freestyle snowboarding. Grady took home fourth place overall. The men’s snowboard team took third place over all! Good work everybody!

Overall, Western Mountain Sports had an amazing week at Mount Bachelor in Bend, Oregon, and we took home some medals to prove it. Thanks to our sponsors, and to everyone that was able to come compete!

To see more photos from the trip, check out: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wscumountainsports

Stay tuned for a video from the trip.

Photos / Story by Preston Hoffman and Taylor Ahearn

 To see more information about the USCSA Nationals head over to the events website: http://www.uscsa.com/

Western hosted a collegiate race this weekend in conjunction with the Alley Loop, and the team raced in the 21k skate ski on Saturday, which included starting and finishing the race in downtown Crested Butte. Western Mountain Sports Nordic competed against other schools such as Mesa, Air Force, and Wyoming.

On Sunday, the teams skied in a 5k classic ski. This was a competition where racers pushed themselves to get the quickest times. The skiers started on 15 second intervals, and traversed through the Crested Butte woods.

The weather was sunny and warm all weekend, and the team had a blast competing. Every skier on the team did an incredible job!

Next stop for the Nordic crew is Laramie, Wyoming next weekend! Check back in to see the recap.

To see more photos from the weekend go to our Flickr page:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/wscumountainsports/

Click here to learn more about the annual Alley Loop race: http://cbnordic.org/alley-loop-nordic-marathon/

Rising with the sun the next morning, the group of Endurance Ski Team Athletes made their way up and over Star Pass and followed the (unmarked) race course to Taylor Pass traveling through the midpoint of the race and laying down some great training miles in not-so-great skiing conditions.  After reaching Taylor Pass and realizing that they still had some “gas left in the tank,” students climbed a ridge off of Taylor Peak and enjoyed some spring-like conditions back into the headwaters of the Taylor River.

Zoe Smith, Cameron Smith and Sam Lesnikoski

As dusk quickly approached, Endurance Ski Team athletes climbed to the 12,500ft Star Pass for the second time in the 16 mile tour and enjoyed some final turns in the awe-inspiring alpenglow surrounding the ever-majestic Star Peak.  The next morning, athletes rose early and climbed to Star Pass for the third time in 24 hours and descended through Crystal Basin back to the valley floor and eventually back to the trail-head and civilization.  All said and done, it was an amazing trip that will stay with athletes and keep them inspired for the coming race.

Sam Lesnikoski enjoying some turns in the fading light

The Elk Mountains Grand Traverse is a brutal and ever-popular race that takes teams of two through towering peaks and beautiful valleys from the town of Crested Butte to Aspen, Colorado.  The race begins at midnight and teams carry all of the necessary gear to survive the night as they make their way 40 miles to Aspen, accepting nothing but water along the way.  Western’s Endurance Ski Team will continue to log miles and participate in shorter events in training for this years Grand Traverse in late March.

Shelbie and Bob

On Sunday, the Grand Mesa Nordic Council hosted their annual 10k on the Mesa. This consistently rolling and winding course is another favorite of the team. This year, the discipline was Classical Technique, and with some new snow that had fallen overnight, conditions were perfect for easy kick, and the freshly groomed track was in the best condition it had been in years for this typically windy and frigid race. Cameron Smith was the first Western finisher in the Mass Start 10k Classic. Finishing 18th over and 12th for the RMC Collegiate Men with a time of 43:49, it was an exceptional start to the season for Smith. Right on Smith’s tails, was Samantha “Bob” Maddox with a 19th place overall finish and 4th for the RMC Collegiate women with a time of 44:01. Shelbie Ralston had begun to feel under the weather that morning and had a bout with some stomach issues during the race, but still finished with a time of 55:43 and 13th place for the RMC Collegiate women.

Cameron Smith at the Starting Line

As a season opener with a partial squad, the Western State Nordic Team rang in the New Year with a bang at the Grand Mesa Nordic Races. Their next race weekend is January 24-25th at the Stagecoach Classic at Devil’s Thumb Ranch.

The team traveled 18 runners and 4 support staff for what turned out to be a remarkably successful competition. Against 600 other competitors, 4 Western runners toed the line in the National Championship Trail Marathon with Josh Simkins leading the way with a 21^st place showing with a time of 3:51:01. An incredible result for the first time marathoner. Freshman Kevin Geisen finished strong with a time of 4:46:17, taking second place in his age group. Senior Conner Jackson posted a very solid 4:57:38 finish time, while running an impressively consistent race. Freshman Will Martinez rounded out the scoring for the Western men by battling through and finishing well.

At the starting line from left to right: Kevin Geisen, Josh Jaeger, Will Martinez and Conner Jackson

Twelve Western runners also competed in the ½ Marathon on a supremely technical course, which included a 1 mile stretch of running through water and beehives in Kane Creek. Sierra Brown, Danielle Sweet, and Shelbie Ralston all finished well in the ½ marathon. On the men’s side, Josh Jaeger, Julian Cullumber, Zach Goering, Charlie Thompson, Bryan Clocker, Sam Ferrara, and Warren Knutson all produced strong finishes on a day with near-perfect weather conditions. Nice work team! Rounding out the racers for the Western Team was Samantha “Bob” Maddox, who put up a strong race and won the women’s 5km event with a time of 39:57. Very impressive for the ‘adventure-race’ nature of this 5km event.

Conner Jackson cruising through mile 18.5

The Western Trail Running Team will now turn its attention to winter training in preparation for a slate of spring time races ranging in distance from 5km to 100 mile! #WesternUp.

Day One:

The team arrived in Charlotte, North Carolina Wednesday, and drove through the lush fall foliage of the Blue Ridge Mountain Range to Beech Mountain Resort. Although conditions were foggy upon arrival, the team still holds high hopes for the courses overall condition. Thursday, the team will have a course inspection that will take place throughout the day that will allow the riders to choose their unique lines and strategies to take them to the podium.

Day Two:

Thursday morning was slow, and the team eventually made it down to register for their respective races. The trailer was slowly unpacked and the Mountain Sports tents were raised. As the bikes were unloaded many racers began routine maintenance to make sure their bikes are in top-notch condition to begin racing on Friday. After registration, the cross country course opened to inspection. Excitement continued to grow as the team became familiar with the new terrain. Although riders suggested that conditions were slightly wet on the track, the forecast for the rest of the week predicted the stable cool temperature that the team was looking for.

The USAC Nationals will  kick off tomorrow with short track cross country and downhill qualifiers. Today, riders from across the country were able to walk the track and get use to the south-east conditions.  Riders talked about the difficulty of the downhill track not being quite as challenging as the year before, but the level of competition being brought to the event is keeping everyone on their toes. With the energy level high in all the teams, the week promises to showcase some of the best talent from the Collegiate mountain biking community throughout the US.  The day ended with the team feeling confident in their lines, and ready to leave it all on the table for the weeks races.

Day 3:

Friday was a big day, and it started off with a huge team breakfast. Once everyone was satisfied, the cross-country men headed out to practice before their event, short track, the only event that day. Promptly at 8:45 am the mens D2 short track began with Western riders Graham Ruhmann, Peter Noon, and Sean O’Donnell all participating. The course was about 1/2 mile in length and depending on the rider’s speed, 8-10 laps were completed. Graham Rumann finished in the 3rd place position with Peter Noon close behind in 4th, and Sean capping off the Western male riders in a solid 26th place. The women’s short track race also went very well, with Zoe Smith finishing in 16th place and Ellie Atkins coming in 20th. Following the cross country short-track race the downhill course was open for practice, with the official seating following practice. The course proved to be challenging for the riders, but all are confident in their ability to pull off a smooth run tomorrow evening.

Day 4:

This post will be updated daily with new Nationals updates.

Writing and photos by Mason Strehl & Preston Hoffman.

Graham Ruhmann peddling hard in the Men’s A Cross Country race

As the sun got higher in the sky and the temperatures rose, the cross country team rode through five strenuous 4.3 mile laps. The technical course included tight squeezes around rocks and across exposed ridge lines. The Downhill team arrived well into the race, and cheered on the Cross Country bikers as they finished the grueling race.

Western representing in the pack in the Men’s A Race

The Downhill racers were shuttled almost up to the start of their course for practice runs before lunch, but only had time for one practice run. The start of the Downhill course required more of hike to the top than most conference races. The gravity riders were surprised by the unusual amount of uphill in their Downhill course, but Western’s athletes did well despite the demanding course. Banks Kriz finished first in Men’s B, his first win of the season.

Banks Kriz takes a drop on the way to victory

Later that afternoon, the Downhill Team returned to Western and the Cross Country Team camped that night in Fruita. The Cross Country athletes had the short track cross country race early the next morning. The race was on Colorado Mesa University’s campus and provided urban aspects to the race. stairs, sand volleyball courts, and tight corners were some of the features on the course. Arriving on campus to warm up, the team was met by rain and extreme wind gusts. The wet pavement was slick throughout Men’s B and Women’s A, but cleared up for the Men’s A race.

Ellie Atkins taking a ramp in the urban short track race

Graham jumping the ramp in the A Class short track race

When all was said and done, Westerns Graham Ruhman, Jimi Averill and Ellie Atkins took home Individual Conference Titles and the Mountain Bike Team as a whole took second in the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Cycling Conference Division II.  Top Western athletes are looking forward to the Opportunity to represent Western at the USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike Championships in Beech Mountain , NC at the end of the month.

The results for the events can be found on the USAC website HERE 

Pumped on such a great race up W Mountain.

Top results were posted by Josh Simkins and Conner Jackson in the 2.7 mile uphill race which finishes on top of the mountain that is home to the University’s iconic ‘W’ Emblem! Strong performances were also turned in by over 10 team members. Outstanding work all!

Nearing the finish line.

Looking ahead, the team will be traveling to Moab, UT on November 8th to compete in the Moab Trail Marathon, Trail ½ Marathon, and Trail 5km races! (http://www.moabtrailmarathon.com/)

The cloudy day did not stop the runners from giving it their all.

In only its second year of existence, the Western State Colorado University Mountain Sports Trail Running Team has quickly grown to a large group of runners interested in competing and enjoying the extensive trail network in and around Gunnison!

Western Mountain Sports Trail Running Team after the W Race.

Look for more results and epic training tales by visiting our website: www.western.edu/mountainsports.

Photos by Taylor Ahearn and Coleman Becker.
To see more photos from the race, check out our flickr page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wscumountainsports/